It is known to maintain pressure of a tire of a vehicle within a pressure range recommended by a tire or vehicle manufacturer. Since tire pressure can fluctuate, tire pressure should be checked by a vehicle operator, and adjusted if necessary, on a regular basis. To check the tire pressure, the vehicle operator often uses a hand-held pressure gauge. If the tire is under-inflated, the vehicle operator adds air to the tire via an air hose attached to a tire valve of the tire, and then re-checks the pressure using the hand-held gauge, repeating this process as necessary until the pressure is within the manufacturer's recommended pressure range. Likewise, if the tire is over-inflated, the vehicle operator opens the tire valve to bleed off the excess pressure, and then re-checks the pressure using the hand-held gauge, repeating this process as necessary until the pressure is within the recommended pressure range. This pressure adjustment process can be time-consuming. Also, inherent error of the hand-held pressure gauge can cause the tire pressure to be set at an incorrect pressure level. Thus, there is a need for a more convenient and accurate way of checking tire pressure.
It is also known to provide tire pressure monitoring systems for monitoring pressure in the tires of the vehicle. In a typical tire pressure monitoring system, pressure sensors are operatively coupled to the tires to continually monitor the pressure thereof. When the pressure in one of the tires falls outside the recommended operating pressure range, the respective pressure sensor sends a signal to a controller, which then triggers an alarm. The alarm alerts the vehicle operator that the tire pressure should be adjusted. Once alerted, the vehicle operator can adjust the tire pressure until the pressure is again within the recommended pressure range. As such, tire pressure monitoring systems provide the vehicle operator a convenient way of monitoring the pressure for the vehicle's tires.
There is an ongoing need for an improved tire pressure monitoring system that indicates how close pressure inside a tire is to the recommended pressure during tire pressure adjustment.
Furthermore, tire pressure may fluctuate when the vehicle is initially driven before eventually reaching an equilibrium level. The tire pressure may, in fact, fluctuate to a level outside the recommended pressure range, thereby triggering an alarm in the tire pressure monitoring system. Similarly, if a tire is filled in a relatively hot area, such as a repair garage, and then the vehicle is driven in much colder weather, the ambient temperature change may cause fluctuations in tire pressure outside the recommended pressure range, thereby triggering the alarm. Thus, there is a need for an improved tire pressure monitoring system that guides the vehicle operator during pressure adjustment such that tire pressure is less likely to fluctuate outside the recommended pressure range in these situations.